Simavi sanitation awarded on WWD to Ugandan NGO

Simavi
Delft, Netherlands, 22 Mar 06

Simavi

Voluntary Action for Development (VAD), Uganda has won the 50,000 Euro Simavi sanitation award for innovative action for their proposal on working with children towards achieving universal sanitation. Mrs Rolien Sasse, director of Simavi announced this at the World Water Day symposium at UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands.

The Ugandan non governmental organisation was chosen by an international jury from a shortlist of five proposals. Their project will include a wide range of child-to-child and child-to-adult activities, methods and tools:

- school sanitation clubs;
- competitions, debates, poems, drama, in schools and communities;
- demonstration latrines;
- exposure visits and training;
- media (radio, print) support.

The second prize went to Herbertpur Christian Hospital, (unit of EHA), India with their proposal for a Rapid Action Force for Sanitation in the area they work. The jury awarded the third prize to Cham Cha Meandeleo Vijijini Tanga (Chamavita), in Tanzania. This NGO wanted to establish Sanitation Technology Parks.

Simavi launched this prize in November 2005 to make sanitation work. The aim was to get innovative strategies for behaviour change towards improved sanitation and hygiene for the poor in rural areas. Simavi initiates, stimulates and supports projects aimed at improving the health of the poorest populations of Africa and Asia.

Contact: Wendy Lambers <simavi@simavi.org>